Hitch



J. KUCHAR March 9, 1948.

HITCH Filed May 14, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l J. KUCHAR' arch 9, w48.

HITCH Filed May 14, 1945 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Mar. 9, 1948 STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to hitches and has for its principal object to provide a hitch capable of automatic engagement and coupling, and capable of being released manually with complete safety to the operator by simple movement of a member remote from the operating elements.

The hitch is intended for the purpose of connecting two vehicles together. One vehicle may have a conventional hitch element such as an eye carried on a projecting tongue. The other hitch element, with which this invention is primarily concerned, receives this eye by means of a movable hook member which is held in operative position by a thrust latch in the form of a relatively long lever projecting upwardly clear of all other mechanisms. The latch is biassed towards latching position and the hook member is biassed away from latched operative position, so that the hitch can be disengaged by merely striking the long projecting upper end of the latch by hand. In its inoperative position the hook is positioned so that it may be engaged by a complementary hitch element, for example by means of relative movement of the vehicles, and carried into its operative position, in which it is retained by the latch.

One of the principal advantages of the present invention is the safety of the hitch in use. Where heavy vehicles are concerned, previous hitches have always been dangerous and many people have lost fingers in manipulating elements near the load carrying elements. In the present hitch, the sole actuating member is a long lever which projects away from the hitch elements proper and is arranged to be actuated by a bang of the palm. The favorable leverage invites even the moet careless users to hit the extremity of the lever so that the hand is always clear of hitch elements which might cause injury.

Further objects, advantages and capabilities of the invention will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a sectional elevation of my improved hitch member;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; and

Fig. 3 is a plan View of the housing thereof.

Referring to the drawings the hitch element comprises a supporting housing Ill, a hook member II, a latch lever I2 and a spring pressed plunger I3 which biasses the lever I2 towards latching position.

The housing I6 may suitably be a casting and includes a base portion I4 which may be secured to a vehicle by means of bolts which may extend through bosses I5 in the base. The base I4 gives into the horizontally projecting, generally tapering muzzle-like portion I6. The projecting portion I6 of the housing I0 is provided at its outer end with a. horizontal recess I1 which has the general appearance of an open mouth when the structure is viewed in elevation. The walls adjacent the recess I1 are gently curved so that an eye or complementary hitch element carried by another vehicle may be guided into the inner end of the recess I1 by relative movement of the vehicles.

'Ihe housing I0 is provided with a central vertical slot I8 which extends through the recess I1 and along the bottom wall of the housing to provideyfor the movements of the hook member II.

The hook member II is pivotally mounted by means of pin I9 carried by bosses 20 on the housing i0 adjacent the inner end of the recess I1. The hook member includes a. bitching hook arm 2l, a cooking arm 22 and a latching arm 23. When the hook member I I is in normal operative position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the arm 2I practically closes the recess I1 so that a complementary hitch element may be secured in the recess I1 in traction transfer relation with the arm 2l. In this position of the hook member II, the arm 23 is engaged by the lower end 24 of the latch lever I2. The lever I2 is pivotally mounted by means of a pin 25 mounted in bosses 26 nearl the upper` end of the housing I6 which is provided with an opening 21 through which the lever extends upwardly. As best seen in Fig. 1, the nor`- mal projection of the engaging surfaces of the arm 23 and end 24 lies to the left of the pivotal axis of the lever so that the pressure applied by the load on the lever I2 tends to carry the lever in the clockwise direction. The lever is biassed towards its latching position by the spring pressed plunger I3, which together with its spring 23 are located in a cylindrical housing 29 carried by the housing I0 between the openings I8 and 21. A projection 30 on the lever I2 engages the housing I0 to dene its latching position.

When the lever I2 is moved in counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig, 1 by manual force applied to its upper end, the spring 28 is compressed and the lower end 24 of the lever I2 is carried clear ofthe arm 23 of the hook member II, so that this member is free to fall by gravity into its dot and dash position in Fig. 1. In this position, which is dened by engagement of the hook member with the abutment 3l at the end of the slot I8, the hook arm 2| is ,carried below the recess I'I and the cooking arm 22 moves within the slot i8 from its normal position near the 1nner end of the recess into an outward position therein. The lever l2 on manual release is moved by the spring pressed plunger I3 into engagement with the end of the arm 23. The hitch elements are now conditioned for automatic hitching. Thus if the vehicle carrying this hitch is backed to bring the eye of a complementary hitch member on another vehicle into the recess Il, the eye engages the cooking arm 22 and swings the hook member il to its normal position bringing the hitching hook arm 2| up behind the engaged portion of the eye, The same movement of the hook member Il carries its yarm 23 clear of the end of the latch lever l2 so that this lever is snapped into latching position by the plunger I3.

Thus it will be fully understood that the only actuation which the hitch member requires is a single displacement of the lever i2 for unhitching and that this actuation is effected at a position clear of all the hitch elements which might injure the users hand.

I declare that what l' claim A hitching mechanism arranged for automatic hitching and safe manual unhitching with and from a complementary hitching element, cornprising a body having lower and upper spaced jaw portions dening an outwardly opening mouth, a member pivotally mounted on the lower part of the body including a hook portion, a cooking arm, and a latching face, said member being biassed towards unhitched condition, a latching lever having a relatively short lower arm arranged to abut against said face to latch said on said body engaging said member when unlatched to locate the hook member clear of the upper contour of the lower jaw and clear of the mouth, and with the cooking arm in an outward position substantially bridging the mouth, whereby the hitching mechanism may be backed on to a complementary hitching element in such manner that the cooking arm is moved inwardly towards the inner end of the mouth until the latch engages said face holding the hook portion in hitching relation.

JOSEPH KUCHAR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,537,935 Clark May 19, 1925 1,588,942 Clark June l5, 1926 1,824,843 Staley Sept. 29, 1931 

